Lafayette developer Andrew Morse, 66, died Thursday when his plane went down in rugged country near Castro Valley. The local man was believed to be flying south to get an aerial view of a new project site when his plane went down for as yet unknown reasons.
Morse was flying alone at the time of the accident, an Alameda County Sheriff’s spokesman said. His family reported his plane as overdue Thursday evening and an aerial search spotted the wreckage Friday.
The developer was piloting his Cessna 210 and flying from Buchanan Field Airport in Concord to Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose when he went down, according to a sheriff’s spokesman.
Search teams reached the crash site and retrieved the pilot’s body at about 10 a.m. Friday. A small grass fire caused by burning fuel was self-extinguished by rain and a heavy mist in the area at the time.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.
Morse was the president of Andrew Morse Construction in Lafayette. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
Tragic news. Condolences to his family.
Weather contribute to the crash?
So sorry to hear this……